The present invention comprises certain amide and ester derivatives of 4-substituted-cinnoline-3-carboxylic acids and 3-acyl-4-substituted-cinnoline derivatives, their use as central nervous system (CNS) depressants (especially anxiolytics) and pharmacological tools, methods for their preparation, pharmacetical compositions containing them and intermediates used in their preparation.
Selected cinnoline compounds including selected 4-amino- and 4-oxo-cinnoline-3-carboxamides are disclosed in East German Patent 123525 (Verfahren zur Herstellung von substituierten 4-Aminocinnolinen): U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,929 to Conrad et al; Daunis et al., "Preparation et proprietes de cinnolones-3 et cinnolones-4," Bull. de la Societe Chimique de France, 8:3198-3202 (1972); Lunt et al. "A New Cinnoline Synthesis," J. Chem. Soc. (C), 687-695 (1968): Gewald, et al., "Synthese von 4-Aminocinnolinen aus (Arylhydrazono) (cyan)-essigsaurederivaten," Liebigs Ann. Chem., 1390-1394 (1984): and U.S. Pat. No. 3,657,241 to Kurihara. Additionally, selected cinnoline compounds, including 3-acyl-4-substituted cinnoline derivatives are disclosed in Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1390-1394 (1984) supra and Sandison, et al., "A New Heterocyclisation Reaction Leading to Cinnolin-4(lH)-one Derivatives," J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Comm., 752-753 (1974). However, none of the foregoing discloses or suggests the novel compounds of the present invention or suggests their use as CNS depressants.